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Current funding opportunities for COVID-19 and Ukraine are available to the public on our website.
National Funding Opportunities
Grants Promote Well-Being and a Healthy Planet
lululemon Centre for Social Impact: Here to Be Grant
The lululemon Centre for Social Impact's purpose is to disrupt inequity in well-being. The Centre's Here to Be grant accelerates the work of community-led nonprofit organizations in selected countries, including Canada, that are advancing the well-being of people and the planet, as well as organizations that are contributing to a healthy planet as it relates to collective well-being. Well-being is defined as a lifetime of practice of three elements: physical well-being, mental well-being, and social well-being. Registered charities and nonprofit organizations based in an eligible country (or organizations fiscally sponsored by one) can apply for general operating support of up to $50,000 USD. Letters of intent must be submitted from June 5 to June 30, 2023; invited applications will be accepted from August 1 to August 29, 2023. Visit the lululemon website to access program details and download the letter of intent form.
Funds Enhance Adult Literacy and Financial Education in Canada
ABC Life Literacy Canada
ABC Life Literacy Canada strengthens organizations that promote adult learning by developing and supporting the use of high-quality introductory learning materials and resources. Support is provided through the following programs: The Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award honors innovation in the development, implementation, and delivery of adult literacy or adult-integrated family literacy programs delivered by a community organization in Canada. One top award of $20,000 and up to two honorable mention awards in the amount of $10,000 each are made. Award applications are due by June 5, 2023. The HSBC Family Literacy First Fund supports Canadian organizations, including nonprofit organizations, registered charities, and school or public libraries, that are making significant contributions to the field of family financial literacy. Four awards of $2,500 honor programs that empower families to develop their financial literacy skills together and serve as models for other organizations to adapt. The deadline to apply for the Fund is July 4, 2023. Visit the ABC Life Literacy Canada website to review the guidelines for both programs.
Initiative Fosters Food System Sustainability in Canada and the U.S.
Danone Institute of North America: Sustainable Food Systems Initiative
Danone Institute of North America's Sustainable Food Systems Initiative aims to foster transdisciplinary, community-based work to promote sustainable food systems that impact human nutrition and health in the U.S. and Canada. In 2023, up to five transdisciplinary teams will be selected to design, implement, and evaluate community-based projects on sustainable food systems that contribute to the nutritional health of populations and support communication about their impact. Examples of focus areas include measurement and mitigation of the carbon footprint in a health-focused food system such as university dining or a food bank; reducing food waste as an aspect of a public health nutrition program; closing food systems gaps that prevent equitable and sustainable access to healthy food; and the promotion of sustainable, accessible, and balanced dietary patterns that help improve health across the lifespan. Seed funding of $50,000 over two years will be provided to each selected team. Teams must include four core members representing diverse disciplines related to food systems; at least one team member must be a faculty member from an institution of higher education. The deadline to apply is June 14, 2023. Visit the Danone Institute of North America's website to review the guidelines and submit a proposal online.
Youth Mental Health and Environmental Education Efforts Supported
TELUS Friendly Future Foundation: Innovation Grants
The TELUS Friendly Future Foundation is dedicated to supporting the well-being of youth who face obstacles to reaching their full potential. The Foundation's Innovation Grants program supports innovative programming that solves some of Canada's most pressing problems facing youth from marginalized or underserved communities or members of equity-deserving groups. In 2023, the focus is on youth mental health and environmental education or climate action programs for youth. Grants of up to $100,000 over one year or up to $200,000 over two years are awarded for projects that adopt a new approach, or make a significant change to an existing model to improve outcomes, with priority given to those that use technology in innovative ways. Registered charities are eligible to apply. Letters of intent must be submitted by June 23, 2023; the deadline for invited applications is August 15, 2023. Visit the Foundation's website to download the letter of intent form.
Regional Funding Opportunities
Efforts Targeting Communities in Canada and the U.S. Funded
CN Stronger Communities Fund
The CN Stronger Communities Fund is committed to helping build safer, stronger communities by providing support in the communities in which CN operates in Canada and the United States. The Fund provides support in the areas of health and safety, environment, diversity and inclusion, innovation, and civic engagement. Registered charities based in Canada and U.S. nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. Applications may be submitted at any time. Visit the CN website to review the FAQs and apply online.
Projects and Events Supported in Selected Cities in AB, MB, and SK
Federated Co-operatives Limited Corporate Giving Program
Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) supports community programs and organizations in Western Canada. FCL's Community Investment Fund supports charitable projects or events that are making an impact in the communities of Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta; Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg, Manitoba. The remaining application deadlines for this year are June 30, September 30, and December 31, 2023. In addition, FCL provides sponsorships for organizations and events across Western Canada. Sponsorship requests may be submitted to a local retail co-operative association at any time. Visit the FCL website to learn more about the Community Investment Fund and sponsorship programs.
Funding Benefits Saskatchewan Youth
Access Communications Children's Fund
The Access Communications Children's Fund contributes support to schools as well as youth-based nonprofit organizations and charities in communities served by the company in Saskatchewan. Grants are awarded for projects that directly support the health, education, or social inclusion of children under the age of 18 who are at risk or in need. Registered nonprofit organizations, charities, and schools are eligible to apply. The remaining application deadlines for 2023 are September 1 and December 1. Visit the Access Communications Co-operative website to learn more about the focus areas and access the online application form.
Giving Program Bolsters Health and Wellness in Company Communities
Nestlé Canada Corporate Giving Program
Nestlé Canada's corporate giving program, the Good Food Good Life Community Program, encourages and supports the promotion of health and wellness in the communities in Canada where the company has a presence. Support is provided for programs and organizations that encourage healthy active living, with specific emphasis on encouraging physical activity in children, youth, and their families in a non-competitive setting. In addition, Nestlé Canada provides donations and sponsorships in the areas of increasing access to healthy food, promoting community well-being, and improving planetary health. Applications may be submitted throughout the year; requests for product donations should be made at least eight weeks in advance. Additional information on the Good Food Good Life Community Program and submitting donation and sponsorship requests is available on Nestlé Canada's website.
Government Funding Opportunities
Program Strengthens Economic Recovery and U.S.-Canada Relations
Embassy of the United States – Canada
The Building Back Better Grant Program supports programs strengthening bilateral ties between the United States and Canada under the pillar of Building Back Better. Supported areas include, but are not limited to, programs that promote sustainable and inclusive economic recovery that strengthens the middle class; programs that build cross-border connections, strengthen entrepreneurship, and accelerate the economic recovery of small- and medium-sized businesses; and programs on trade, investment, and the economy. The deadline to submit a statement of interest for Round 3 is July 5, 2023.
Organizations Training Professional Artists Supported
Canadian Heritage
The Canada Arts Training Fund provides financial support for the ongoing operations of Canadian arts organizations that specialize in training artists for professional national or international artistic careers, at the highest levels. Incorporated Canadian nonprofit organizations that exist primarily to provide professional arts training, or that have established professional arts training as an integral component of their overall activities, are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted by June 30 of each year.
PathFinder: Featured Resource
A library of quality resources designed to help you develop your career path as a grants professional
The Giving Report 2023: It's Time for Change
Are you curious about the current state of the charitable sector and individual giving in Canada? The Giving Report 2023: It's Time for Change, published by CanadaHelps, provides insights and highlights giving trends that are currently challenging Canada’s charitable sector as it struggles to keep pace with rising inflation.
Upcoming Online Education Trainings
Live Webinars
Unless otherwise noted, all Online Education Trainings are webinars,
are 90 minutes in duration, and are scheduled to begin at 2 PM Eastern Time.
Funder Feedback: Ask the Right Way to Get the Right Results
Getting meaningful feedback on your proposals from grantmakers can be frustrating. How do you get it? How do you make sense of it? And what do you do with it? The two-word answer? It depends . . . on the grantmaking organization, on what happens in the grants decision-making process, and on how you ask! In this all-new session, veteran grantmaker Maryn Boess puts on her grantmaker hat and shares some straight talk about asking for, getting, and making sense of funder feedback. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.
(FREE) Tour of the GrantStation Website
Finding the funds needed to fulfill your mission is a never-ending challenge for all nonprofits. Whether you're part of an established nonprofit constantly searching for new funding to expand your programs, or you're a one-person development office, which means you need to do it all, GrantStation can work for you because it is designed to help nonprofit organizations of all sizes get funded. During this live demo and Q&A session, Jeremy Smith, Director of Communications Technology, and Kerry Glauser, Senior Research Specialist, will show you how you can use GrantStation to complete your grant research quickly and get high-quality results. You'll see how you can find and vet funding opportunities in a quick, streamlined fashion, so you and your staff can focus on what's most important—serving your community. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.
Proposal Writing: What the Pros Know
Are you new to proposal writing? Do you find yourself writing too many proposals that get rejected? For most nonprofits, there's a consistent need to secure funding through grants. This leads to concerns about the potential consequences for your organization if too many of your proposals are rejected. Fortunately, there's a proven path to success. Knowing where to start and having a clear understanding of the fundamental elements of most proposals can help you get funded more often. During this fast-paced session, Amanda Pearce of Funding for Good will provide an introduction of the steps proposal-writing "pros" take in order to see long-term grants success. She'll review the questions you need to answer prior to searching and applying for grant funds, outline the seven basic elements of most proposals, and show you how to match your needs to a funder's specific priorities. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
GrantStation Announcements
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Funding Spotlights
GrantStation shares database profiles of local, national, Canadian, and international grantmakers with upcoming deadlines each week. Check out the current Funding Spotlights for more grant opportunities!
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Editor: Diana Holder
Contributing Writer: Ashlyn Simmons